The Times: Von der Leyen faces backlash over controversial trade deal with Trump

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is under mounting pressure after agreeing to a trade deal with Donald Trump that many across Europe have branded a strategic capitulation. The agreement, finalised during a weekend visit to Trump’s golf resort in Ayrshire, Scotland, imposes a 15 per cent tariff on most EU exports to the US — a rate significantly higher than the 10 per cent applied to the UK.

The deal has triggered fierce criticism. French Prime Minister François Bayrou described it as a “dark day for Europe,” while President Emmanuel Macron reportedly lamented to his ministers that the bloc was “not feared enough.” Hungarian leader Viktor Orban mocked von der Leyen, saying Trump had “eaten her for breakfast.” Meanwhile, Brexit figurehead Dominic Cummings posted on X: “Thanks to Brexit we’re outside this humiliating disaster for the EU and the many more to come," Caliber.Az reports via The Times. 

Despite initial preparations for retaliatory measures by the EU’s Directorate-General for Trade, the Commission backed down after Trump threatened to raise tariffs to 30 per cent and hinted at a military posture review that could result in the withdrawal of some of the 80,000 US troops currently stationed in Europe.

“Everyone recognises that, in trade terms, this was a terrible deal for Europe,” said Jacob Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels. “But if you’re a responsible leader, you have no choice other than to keep the dominant military power in Nato, namely Trump’s America, on your side, because Europe is under violent attack from Russia.”

The episode has cast a spotlight on von der Leyen’s leadership style. Since taking office in 2019, she has centralised decision-making power within her office, often bypassing other commissioners. Together with her long-time chief of staff Björn Seibert, she has tightly controlled the Commission’s agenda, a shift that has frustrated colleagues.

Observers say her deference to Trump contrasts sharply with the more confrontational strategies adopted by China and the UK, the latter securing more favourable trade terms despite its smaller economy.

“The US stuff has completely taken up all the bandwidth in recent months,” said Andrew Small, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund. “It’s been such a huge focus to get this all squared.”

The deal comes amid growing political vulnerability for von der Leyen. She narrowly survived a European Parliament confidence vote last month, triggered by controversy over undisclosed vaccine-related text messages. Lawmakers across the political spectrum used the vote to express wider concerns, from her green agenda to her handling of economic competitiveness.

“In her first iteration von der Leyen was ‘Mrs Green Deal’. Von der Leyen II is ‘Mrs Competitiveness’,” said Peter Guilford, a former European Commission trade spokesman. He noted that von der Leyen has begun softening environmental policies, shifting focus towards innovation and productivity.

Even her own centre-right European People’s Party appears divided. Its leader, Manfred Weber, recently slammed one of her flagship initiatives — the green claims directive — as a “bureaucratic monster.”

With political allies wavering, von der Leyen now faces the challenge of securing support for the EU’s next seven-year budget, worth €1.816 trillion. Her proposal seeks to shift funding away from traditional sectors like agriculture toward defence and technological innovation — a move she argues is necessary for long-term strategic autonomy from the US.

“The question is whether they can put themselves on a footing where they would not have to go through all this again if it were to repeat in several years’ time with a [JD] Vance presidency,” said Small.

By Sabina Mammadli